Apparatus for compacting contents of containers

ABSTRACT

There is disclosed apparatus for compacting the contents of shipping containers for the more efficient utilization of space in those containers which comprises a press plate which is movable vertically towards and away from a base upon which an open topped container can be supported for compacting the material in the container. The press plate is supported in its vertical movements in guides in a carriage which is shiftable in a horizontal plane.

United States Patent [1 1 Knopf et al.

1 Dec. 16, 1975 APPARATUS FOR COMPACTING CONTENTS OF CONTAINERS [75] Inventors: Werner Knopf; Harald Liebscher,

both of Dresden, Germany [73] Assignee: VEB Kombinat Nagema, Germany [22] Filed: Sept. 3, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 502,997

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 11, 1973 Germany 175247 [52] US. Cl. 53/124 B; 53/374; 100/226 {51] Int. C1. B65B 1/24 [58] Field of Search 53/124 B; 100/226 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3.334.580 8/1967 Smith 100/226 1495.527 2/1970 Lafreniere 100/226 3.589.277 6/1971 Gray ct a1. 3,826,188 7/1974 Eberle 100/226 Prinwry Examiner-Travis S. McGehce Attornev, Agent, or FirmNoltc and Noltc [57] ABSTRACT There is disclosed apparatus for compacting the con- 7 tents of shipping containers for the more efficient uti- 10 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 1': lie" US. Patent Dec. 16, 1975 Sheet 1 012 3,925,962

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APPARATUS FOR COMPACTING CONTENTS OF CONTADIERS shipping containers so that the free spaces betwen the O bags is reduced.

One known apparatus for compressing or compact ing materials comprises an endless chain which is disposed above a path followed by containers of which the contents are to be compacted and on which chain are suspended at intervals heavyweights. The weights are then-brought into register with the container of which the contents are to be compacted and is allowed to press upon the contents and then is removed therefrom by the continued movement of the endless chain. Such an arrangement hasthe obvious disadvantage of requiring very substantial equipment and of course to accommodate a change in size of the containers or material of the containers involves complex adjustment of the apparatus since all the weights have to be exchanged and the intervals between those weights have to be varied. Such a construction in shown in German Offenlegeschrift No. 2,302,603.

Another known apparatus is described in German Auslegeschrift No. 2,034,696. In such a device a press and press chamber arrangement is utilized in which the chamber is open on three sides and a press element moves upwardly into the chamber from therebelow to compact the materials located in the chamber. This device is only useful for completing stacks by passing a metallic band therearound.

The present invention is concerned to provide an apparatus for compacting the contents of containers which is both versatile and highly efficient.

An embodiment of this invention is illustrated, schematically, in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 isa diagramatic front elevational view of the device; and

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a pneumatic wiring shematic.

The apparatus of the drawings comprises essentially a base ll defining receiving station for cartons of which the contents are to be compacted, an upright support structure 4, a carriage 9 and a press plate 12.

The base 1 has a fixed abutment 2 and an adjustable guide for leading a carton or other container into a receiving station on the base. Adjustability of the guide 3 allows the base to be adapted for different carton sizes and it will be noted that the guide is carried on swinging levers which permit such adjustment.

Adjacent to the stop or abutment 2 a vertical column 4 is secured to the base 1 and mounted for vertical sliding movement thereon is a block 5 which is slotted as at 5' and has a screw thread element extending across the slot and operable by lever 6 to clamp block 5 in a selected position on column 4.

Projecting horizontally from the block 5 are a pair of guide rods 7 which are joined at their ends remote from block 5 by a strap 7. Mounted for movement along the guide rods 7 are transverse slide bars 8 upon which the carriage 9 is mounted.

The carriage 9 is provided with journals 9 to facilitate the sliding movement of that carriage longitudinally of the slide bars 8 and of course transversely of the guide rods 7.

It will be appreciated that by shifting block 5 vertically on column 4, by moving slide bars 8 longitudinally of guide rods 7 and by shifting the carriage longitudinally of slide bars 8, the position of the carriage is variable in three dimensions.

The carriage 9 comprises guide structures 10 which have rollers 10' disposed to define a vertical guideway within which guide rails 11 are disposed. The guide rails ll at their lower ends support a press plate 12 which is secured to piston rod 13 of a piston/cylinder unit l3, 14 which is secured to the carriage.

As shown schematically in FIG. 1, the cylinder of the piston/cylinder unit is connected to a source of compressed air 20 for example a ring system through control elements 21, the control elements comprising a conventional pressure adjusting valve 22 a two-wayvalve 23 and a adjusting time limit switch 24 and associated activating mechanisms.

The activating mechanisms comprising a pressure reducing valve 25 and a pneumatic limit switch 26 and is connected by a pilot wire circuit 27 to the said ring system and the said control elements as viewed in FIG. 3.

The control mechanism is effective upon the arrival of a carton at the station on base 1 to admit air to extend the piston and compress the contents of the carton or other container. The press plate is maintained in a compacting or compressing position for certain dwell period to be determined according to the contents of the carton and the degree to which they have to be compacted and the two way valve is switched by the said time-limit-switch to retract the piston.

Desirably, the control mechanism includes a pressure reducing valve to fit the pressure applied to the pressure plate for the particular contents of the carton.

Disposed immediately beneath the carriage 9 is a second pneumatic piston/cylinder unit 15 which carries an extended and bent piston rod element 16 which is effective, after compacting the contents of the carton by the press plate, to close the carton flap to the right of the carton as viewed in FIG. 1.

When the first piston has gone to his upper position the second piston/cylinder is operated by a second time-limit-switch 28 and a second two-way-valve 29. The movement of the piston is reversed by a second limit switch 30 (FIG. 3).

As seen particularly in FIG. 2, the adjustable guide 3 on the base of the apparatus is mounted upon swinging levers 3 to be adjustable to accommodate different carton sizes.

It will be appreciated that by the adoption of the present invention fast and efiicient compacting of the contents of the container can be achieved and that to accommodate different sizes of cartons all that is required is that the pressure plate be replaced which is in itself a simple operation and that the adjustable stop 3 at the base be shifted. All other adjustments can be made by suitable shifting of the carriage 9 and block 5.

It is to be appreciated that for certain materials it may be desirable to puncture the packages which constitute the contents of the carton 17 so that air contained in those packages can escape.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for compacting the contents of an open top container which comprises the base for supporting the bottom of a container, a carriage supporting a press plate, means in said carriage for guiding said press plate for vertical movement towards and away from said base to compact the contents of the container disposed on said base, means for moving said press plate vertically in said means for guiding, means for shifting said carriage horizontally, said carriage being mounted for sliding movement along guide rails, said guide rails in turn being mounted for sliding movement along guide bars disposed orthogonally to said guide rails and wherein said guide bars are mounted for vertical adjustment.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising control means associated with said means for moving said press plate, said control means being effective to control actuation of said means for moving said plate and for controlling the pressure with which said press plate compacts the contents of the container mounted on said base.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said means for moving said press plate vertically comprises a piston/cylinder unit and said control means comprises a pressure reducing valve and a control valve to control the admission of fluid to said piston/cylinder unit.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for moving said press plate comprises a piston/- cylinder unit and said press plate is removably connected to said piston/cylinder unit.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said press plate comprises vertical guide rods and said means for guiding said press plate comprises roller elements defining a path for said guide rods.

6. Apparatus for compacting the contents of an open top container which comprises the base for supporting the bottom of a container, a carriage supporting a press plate, means in said carriage for guiding said press plate for vertical movement towards and away from said base to compact the contents of the container disposed on said base, means for moving said press plate vertically in said means for guiding, means for shifting said carriage horizontally, and a flap turning means on said carriage, said flap turning means being effective to move generally horizontally to close a flap of a flapped carton.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 comprising control means associated with said means for moving said press plate, said control means being effective to con- 'trol actuation of said means for moving said plate and for controlling the pressure with which said press plate compacts the contents of the container mounted on said base.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said means for moving said press plate vertically comprises a piston/cylinder unit and said control means comprises a pressure reducing valve and a control valve to control the admission of fluid to said piston/cylinder unit.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said means for moving said press plate comprises a piston/- cylinder unit and said press plate is removably connected to said piston/cylinder unit.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said press plate comprises vertical guide rods and said means for guiding said press plate comprises roller elements defining a path for said guide rods. 

1. Apparatus for compacting the contents of an open top container which comprises the base for supporting the bottom of a container, a carriage supporting a press plate, means in said carriage for guiding said press plate for vertical movement towards and away from said base to compact the contents of the container disposed on said base, means for moving said press plate vertically in said means for guiding, means for shifting said carriage horizontally, said carriage being mounted for sliding movement along guide rails, Said guide rails in turn being mounted for sliding movement along guide bars disposed orthogonally to said guide rails and wherein said guide bars are mounted for vertical adjustment.
 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising control means associated with said means for moving said press plate, said control means being effective to control actuation of said means for moving said plate and for controlling the pressure with which said press plate compacts the contents of the container mounted on said base.
 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said means for moving said press plate vertically comprises a piston/cylinder unit and said control means comprises a pressure reducing valve and a control valve to control the admission of fluid to said piston/cylinder unit.
 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for moving said press plate comprises a piston/cylinder unit and said press plate is removably connected to said piston/cylinder unit.
 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said press plate comprises vertical guide rods and said means for guiding said press plate comprises roller elements defining a path for said guide rods.
 6. Apparatus for compacting the contents of an open top container which comprises the base for supporting the bottom of a container, a carriage supporting a press plate, means in said carriage for guiding said press plate for vertical movement towards and away from said base to compact the contents of the container disposed on said base, means for moving said press plate vertically in said means for guiding, means for shifting said carriage horizontally, and a flap turning means on said carriage, said flap turning means being effective to move generally horizontally to close a flap of a flapped carton.
 7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 comprising control means associated with said means for moving said press plate, said control means being effective to control actuation of said means for moving said plate and for controlling the pressure with which said press plate compacts the contents of the container mounted on said base.
 8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said means for moving said press plate vertically comprises a piston/cylinder unit and said control means comprises a pressure reducing valve and a control valve to control the admission of fluid to said piston/cylinder unit.
 9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said means for moving said press plate comprises a piston/cylinder unit and said press plate is removably connected to said piston/cylinder unit.
 10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said press plate comprises vertical guide rods and said means for guiding said press plate comprises roller elements defining a path for said guide rods. 